Now, I'm enjoying the series, but I have found it a bit too 'quick'... It's one of those ideas; superheroes forceably rebooting America, that has 'sort of' been done before (Squadron Supreme, notably), but never by the brutal murder of the 'actual' president, and not in a politcal climate such as we're in today (with PotUS being amongst the most hated figures in the world). I like the guns, I like the aesthetic of them, but I wish the characters had 'bedded in' a bit more, that I knew the players a bit before dealing with the anarchy (e.g. if the Authority had done it).

PS: Warren, I'm intrigued by the dark blue panel gutters, we're all used to white, and black' quite in vogue (Hitch on Ultimates for instance) and it certainly effects the reading experience, but I can't recall ever seeing blue 'pages before'... is that a writing decision?

...I wish the characters had 'bedded in' a bit more, that I knew the players a bit before dealing with the anarchy

I actually like how the mystery is unfolding; being thrown into the story right where the action is and then learning about the characters and their histories as the series progresses. There are a lot of questions that beg to be answered, but I like the fast paced approach in this.

Tom just got a new leg...he can't be dead....but him staging the whole scene where he gets blown up was cool.

Fantastic stuff. Takashi Miike would lurve this series. Ryp seems to be out-Darrowing Darrow. Suckered my LCS manager into giving me the extra promo poster he had... as an added bonus for waiting two extra weeks for the Horus t-shirt. Political commentary seasoned with Hong Kong action in a meta-human Big Gulp tumbler. Avatar is going to be producing a trade for this when it's all said and done... right? I like to think that I could convert a few of the unknowing masses with it.

I found this issue injected the story with the right amount of heroin. I was starting to already feel the Guns were too powerful and the introduction to well, Guns 2.0 seemed like the right amount of "well now, this is going to suck for some crazy-ass superheroes."

Crazy action. Absolutely insane. Well paced.

So often the action is going through the motions to the story or just is more of what is already seen and here we've got some up in you face, feeling-like-your-wreckage-side of the fight.

Ryp is ridiculously gifted.

And together you guys had me wearing a shit-eating grin from beginning to end.

I bought IMPRINT via Amazon as soon as it was available. I have to agree that it was one of the best from MOH. The only episode that was better, in my opinion, was Carpenter's Cigarette Burns. Those two were the only times that the show actually gave me that sensation of dread in my guts. IMPRINT was truly disturbing, and while I can understand Showtime's reluctance to air it, I think it was a mistake to send it straight to video. Even though, in the States, Miike's fandom live through DVD, it could have been a nice boost to his recognition to have IMPRINT pumped into the nation's living rooms directly. In all seriousness, AUDITION and IMPRINT have cemented his status as a true Master of Horror. Christ, Clive Barker probably flinched at IMPRINT's torture scenes.

I watched Imprint and 3 Extremes (Box being Miike's entry) rather close to each other, which if you have seen both, is sort of odd to see so close together in regards to Miike's choice of theme and topic.

Black Summer, to stay on the actual topic here, has been nothing less then razor sharp joy. As ever, Warren's total lack of affection for super heroes manages to make him one of the best super hero writers out there, he sees where all the dials and buttons are to press without sentiment clouding the expert level of the craft. And Ryp's art is overwhelming, you just have to sit and absorb, really stop and take in each panel.

It is beautiful and I like the colors. Love the smell of the paper/ink/whatever the hell it is, toxic or no. And Blackgas as well, though it's not part of this discussion, is beautiful too. But, you see, it's the TPB, and I'm certain I have all the issues therein...I went nuts looking for the "singles" as they were...longer, better, no "ads" between story and that is, in this "new" format, perfect. Thank you WARREN and AVATAR!!!! But, I want all the TPB's by Warren and Co...I can hardly wait. Though with shipping or mailing or whatever it is that creates the "Duh, I dunno" responses from the comic store workers when I ask when this/that/the other will arrive; I will be dead by then...doktor sleepless any one? William Gravel!!

I can actually see Tom really being dead. The book has thrown a series of change-ups at us already. We started focused on John Horus and his deeds. Then suddenly we're focused on Tom. Then we meet the other Guns, and Tom is pink-misted (that's for you, Warren). Now we've got the new team (great moment, btw) ready to take down the old team which is motivated all the more by Tom's death. I dunno, I'm probably totally and completely wrong.

I thought we knew Tom was not dead and that was just an empty suit on remote?

I have to agree with Allan as to the lack of plot in #4 which is what I love but the Guns 2.0 made up for it. You also have to love how the superhero fights are used to move the plot along not the other way around.

Love the art and the Guns 2.0 gear. I actually have my own superhero kit like that. HJC carbonfibre helmet ,Alpinstars batman gloves ,Black Icon Merc motorcycle jacket and a Honda 919 for summer and a Kawi KFX450 quad for winter. The coolest thing is the custom katana. I am definitly checking out the gasmask hoodie from the other thread. Everyone needs a hobby.

Enjoying this more and more as it goes on. Ryp seems to have really captured the escalating sense of grandeur as the guns bring the war back home. I imagine he'll be able to draw them each a spectacular death scene, if this goes where I think it might. I'm pretty sure Tom is still alive, but I wouldn't be surprised if this has a real gut-punch of an ending.